Today's featured mom is Veronica of
Veronica Willingham Jewelry. Finding herself amongst a family of artists and her without the ability to 'draw a straight line with a ruler', she felt like she didn't possess any artistic ability - until the birth of her daughter Taylor. Then she captured the spark and found her talent for design.
H: How long have you been doing what you do?
V: I have been designing and creating jewelry for over seven years now. It all started one day when my husband and I where bored so we went around to crafts stores trying to find things to do. Two weeks later I discovered there where actually bead stores in my area. Well, I guess you can figure out the rest…I was hooked.
H: Tell me about what you make.
V: I like to create handcrafted jewelry using semi-precious and precious gemstones. My creations use a lot of metal and chains of sterling silver, gold, vermeil and gold filled. I tend to create a lot of earrings. I guess the way earrings can frame a face and make even the most timid persons eyes just pop; I just love them.
H: Describe your creative process.
V: Wow I would love to say that I have this amazing process that involves…..well a process. But long story short I dream of designs, designs pop in my head, inspiration comes at the oddest times, heck the architecture in a building can set me off and a design comes. Although, more often than not (because I’m a workaholic), I’ll just sit at my work area and ask the question,” Who wants to play?” Sometimes I get an answer and I get to it…sometimes I don’t. In that case I’ll do some sort of clerical work that must be done.
H: Were you creative before you had children?
V: To be truly honest my creativity came more to me after my daughter Taylor was born. She is quite the artists herself. She has been drawing three dimensionally since she was three. I guess her spark of creativity led me to investigate my own. My father and older brother are artists as well. I used to think I had no talent. Believe me I can’t draw a straight line with a ruler. Then after I had Taylor I discovered I had the ability to design and use color combinations that even surprised me.
H: Have your methods changed?
V: My methods have stayed pretty consistent. I let the moment take me…sometimes an amazing journey. And sometimes…well you remember those bad road trips as a child. You just never know, right. I just try and go with it and see what happens.
H: How do you find time to stay creative?
V: I am amazingly lucky in the respect that this is my full time vocation. But don’t loose sight of the fact that luck favours the prepared. I dot all my I’s and cross all the t’s that need to be done. So creativity has no time limit with me…my days are pretty open to create.
H: Do your kids show any creative spirit?
V: As I stated earlier my daughter Taylor who is now thirteen has been a budding artist since three years old. She has always had a creative spirit. Even when she used to draw on the walls I couldn’t get to upset...mostly because she has always been able to draw better than me. So it’s hard to knock someone who’s better than you.
H: What have you learned after having your kids (in relation to your art)
V: I have learned to let your process be what it needs to be. Meaning you have to let your art come from the true you. I guess to go out and try to manipulate your art to be what someone else thinks of art is only going to get you one thing. And that’s simply someone else’s art. Your art has to be about the core of you….and to be honest I’ve never found that when I have extended myself too far outside my core, that I’ve come up with anything that was truly me. I have to keep a line connected to my core while exploring the vast amount of knowledge out there. I have to be able to come back to my core self…that which started my journey. Although my daughter and many other things have given me inspiration; if I have learned anything from her is to be true to your self. Taylor at thirteen has her own personal style, which involves rocking a sterling silver skull ring her dad designed and made for her. That’s true artisanship to the core!
H: What do you feel makes you successful and are you finding success?
V: Wow that’s a hard question to answer. On the one hand being able to pay the bills with my business is success. Having a following of customers that easily recognize my work is success. Loving and I do mean truly LOVING what you do is a kind of success that goes beyond success to self fulfillment. So success I guess is an everyday accounting practice. When and if I ever come up with a formula….I guess I’ll write a book or something.
H: Anything else to add?
V: I guess I have to add that I have a wonderful husband Rodney Sherman who has come on board and he does all my metalwork with true professionalism and I love him truly and I will forever be in his debt.
And to anyone who ever has a dream, don’t wait for it to come true…kick it in the butt, reinvent a process, dream a little harder. But by all means understand that a dream only dies when it’s not given life. Give your dream life….whatever it may be.
Feel free to visit my website veronicawillingham.com or drop me a line at my email veronicawillinghamjewelry@hotmail.com
P.S. Remember…luck favours the prepared!
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